Closure latch



Aug. 25, 1964 A. L. ERxcsoN 3,146,021

cLosuRE: LATCH Filed NOV. 24, 1961 INVENTOR. @/e/ H6502? BY Maf/MATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,146,021 CLOSURE LATCH Y Albert L.Ericson, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 24, 1961, Ser. No.154,427 3 Claims. (Cl. 296-106) This invention relates to closurelatches and more particularly to closure latches for station wagonbodies having a tail gate and a tail gate window movable between openand closed positions.

Many current station wagon bodies include a tail gate having a windowmovable into and out of the tail gate between open and closed positions,with the window being received within xed guides on the body in theclosed position thereof. In an arrangement such as this, it is necessaryto prevent release of the tail gate unless the window is in an openposition in order to prevent damage to the window should it be locatedwithin the guides and the operator tries to release the latch means andopen the tail gate.

The closure latch of this invention is particularly intended for usewith station wagon bodies of this type and generally includes a handlewhich must move within the plane of the window in order to release thelatch means and allow the tail gate to be opened. By providing a handleof this type in combination with cooperating latch operating means, thelatch means for the tail gate cannot be released unless the window is inan open position.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved closurelatch. Another object of this invention is to provide an improvedclosure latch for station wagon bodies including a tail gate and a tailgate window movable between open and closed positions into and out ofthe tail gate, with the window being received within fixed guides on thebody when in the closed position thereof. A further object of thisinvention is to provide a closure latch for a closure and a closurewindow movable into and out of the closure, with the closure latchincluding operating means which must move within the plane of the windowto thereby prevent release of the closure latch unless the window is inan open position within the closure.

These and other objects of the invention will be readily apparent fromthe following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a partial rear elevational view of a station wagon bodyhaving a tail gate movable between open and closed positions and a tailgate window mounted on the tail gate for movement betweenopen and closedpositions into and out of the tail gate, with the tail gate embodying aclosure latch according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the planeindicated by line 2-2 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a station wagonbody lt includes a tail gate 12 which is hinged adjacent its lower edge14 to body 10 for movement between a closed position, as shown, and anopen position, not shown. A vertically movable tail gate window 16 ismounted on the tail gate 12 by suitable window regulator mechanism formovement between a closed position within the tail gate 12 and an openor partially open position, as shown, wherein the side edge portions ofthe window are received within fixed channel guides 1S of body 10.

In order to prevent any damage to the window 16, should the window be ina closed or partially closed position and it is desired to open the tailgate, this invention 3,146,021 Patented Aug. 25, 1964 provides a closurelatch which positively prevents any release of the tail gate latchesunless the window 16 is in a fully open position within the tail gate12.

Referring now particularly to FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings, the tailgate 12 includes an inner panel 20, a reinforcing panel 22, and abracing panel 24. A generally U-shaped bracket 26 has the legs thereofsecured to panel 22 and mounts a stud or pivot 28 which swingablysupports an operating member or lever 30 intermediate the ends thereof.A coil torsion spring 32 interconnecting the lever 30 and the bracket 26holds the lever in a general vertically disposed position, as shown, andresists rotational movement thereof. A lateral ear at the lower end ofthe lever is pivoted at 34 to a shiftable link 36 and an offset lateralear at the upper end of the lever is pivoted at 38 to a similarshiftable link 40. As shown in FIGURE 1, links 36 and 40 pivotallyinterconnect the lever 30 with the tail gate latches 42 which areconventional and of known construction, the details of which are notshown since they form no part of this invention.

A channel bracket 44 includes a pair of opposite apertured ears 46 whichare pivoted by a pivot pin 48 to a pair of lateral ears 50 of lever 30which are located intermediate the upper and lower ends of the lever andabove the pivot 28 thereof. A coil torsion spring 52 surrounds the pivotpin 48 and has one end thereof bearing against the bracket 44 and theother end thereof bearing against the lever 30 to normally hold thebracket 44 in its full line position, as shown, with respect to thelever 30. An offset operating member or handle 54 has a lower endthereof welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the base of bracket 44and includes an upper generally U-shaped portion 56 which terminatesimmediately adjacent the inner surface of the window 16 in its closedposition, FIGURE 2, and is provided with a knob 58. The portion 56 eX-tends inwardly into body 10 from the tail gate 12 through an arcuateslot 60 in panel 24 and similar aligned slots in the panels 20 and 22.

Movement of the handle 54 to the right, as viewed in FIGURE 3, willswing the handle and the lever 30 as a unit clockwise about the pivot 28to thereby shift link 40 to the right and link 36 to the left andrelease the side latches 42.

In order to prevent such movement of the handle and lever as a unit whenthe window 16 is in a closed position, a lanced bent tab 62 is providedon panel 24 immediately adjacent the handle 54. Thus, the handle 54cannot be moved to the right unless it is first moved out of the path ofthe tab 62. As indicated in dot-dash lines in FIGURE 2, the handle 54can be pivoted inwardly of the tail gate 12 about the pin 48 and againstthe action of the spring 52 until the handle is moved to a position 54wherein it is located out of the path of the tab 62. When the handle isin this position, the handle and lever 30 can be operated as previouslyset forth to release the latches 42. However, should the window 16 be ina closed or partially closed position, the handle cannot be moved to itsposition 54 since the portion 56 of the handle will engage window 16 andcannot be moved within the plane of the Window. Accordingly, the latches42 cannot be released.

Thus, this invention provides a new and improved closure latch forstation wagon bodies including a tail gate and a tail gate windowmovable into and out of the tail gate between open and closed positionswherein it is desired to hold the tail gate in a closed latched positionunless the window is in a fully open position.

What is claimed is:

l. In a vehicle body including a closure movable between open and closedpositions and having a window opening therein, a window mounted on saidclosure for movement between open and closed positions with respect tosaid opening, and latch means for latching said closure to said body,the combination comprising, latch operating means movably mounted onsaid closure and operatively connected to said latch means for releasethereof upon movement of said operating means, an operating member,means operatively connecting said member to said operating means formovement independently thereof between rst and second positions andmovement therewith as a unit while in both said positions to releasesaid latch means, means preventing movement of said member and saidoperating means as a unit when said member is in said first position,and means on said member movable into said window opening when saidmember is moved from said first position to said second position, saidwindow preventing movement of said member to said second position whensaid window is in said closed position within said window opening.

2. In a vehicle body including a closure movable between open and closedpositions and having a window opening therein, a Window mounted on saidclosure for movement between open and closed positions with respect tosaid opening, and latch means for latching said closure to said body,the combination comprising, latch operating means movably mounted onsaid closure and operatively connected to said latch means for releasethereof upon movement of said operating means, an operating member,means operatively connecting said member to said operating means formovement independently thereof between a first position out of the planeof said window opening and a second position within the plane of saidwindow opening and movement therewith as a unit while in said first andsecond positions to release said latch means, means preventing movementof said member and said operating means as a unit when said member is insaid first position, said window preventing movement of said member fromsaid rst position to said second position when said window is in saidclosed position within said window opening.

3. In a vehicle body including a closure movable between open and closedpositions and having a window opening therein, a window mounted on saidclosure for movement between open and closed positions with respect tosaid opening, and latch means for latching said closure to said body,the combination comprising, latch operating means movably mounted onsaid closure and operatively connected to said latch means for releasethereof upon movement of said operating means, an operating member,means swingably mounting said member on said operating means formovement independently thereof between first and second positions andmovement therewith as a unit while in both said positions to releasesaid latch means, means preventing movement of said member and saidoperating means as a unit when said member is in said first position,and means on said member movable into said window opening when saidmember is moved from said first position to said second position, saidwindow preventing movement of said member to said second position whensaid window is in said closed position within said window opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,239,899 Gardner Sept. 11, 1917 1,788,999 Gorsuch et al Tan. 13, 19312,959,448 Bogater et al Nov. 8, 1960

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY INCLUDING A CLOSURE MOVABLE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSEDPOSITIONS AND HAVING A WINDOW OPENING THEREIN, A WINDOW MOUNTED ON SAIDCLOSURE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TOSAID OPENING, AND LATCH MEANS FOR LATCHING SAID CLOSURE TO SAID BODY,THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, LATCH OPERATING MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ONSAID CLOSURE AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LATCH MEANS FOR RELEASETHEREOF UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATING MEANS, AN OPERATING MEMBER,MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID MEMBER TO SAID OPERATING MEANS FORMOVEMENT INDEPENDENTLY THEREOF BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS ANDMOVEMENT THEREWITH AS A UNIT WHILE IN BOTH SAID POSITIONS TO RELEASESAID LATCH MEANS, MEANS PREVENTING MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER AND SAIDOPERATING MEANS AS A UNIT WHEN SAID